Associated Press stories, Page 2486
Facebook auto-generates videos celebrating extremist images
WASHINGTON — The animated video begins with a photo of the black flags of jihad. Seconds later, it flashes highlights of a year of social media posts: plaques of anti-Semitic verses, talk of retribution and a photo of two men carrying more jihadi flags while they burn the stars and...
Fake German heiress gets up to 12 years in prison
NEW YORK — The German con artist who passed herself off as a wealthy heiress was sentenced Thursday to four 12 years behind bars for swindling New York banks and hotels out of tens of thousands of dollars. Judge Diane Kiesel says she was “stunned by the depth of the...
Berlin park’s drug dealer solution panned by authorities
BERLIN — A creative attempt by a downtown Berlin park manager to keep drug dealers away from families and joggers has been met with an emphatic “nein” from German officials. Cengiz Demirci demarcated certain areas in the popular Goerlitzer Park with pink spray-painted lines for the dealers to stand behind,...
Chef stopped at Los Angeles airport with 40 frozen piranhas
LOS ANGELES — A famous South American chef says he was stopped as he brought 40 piranhas in a duffel bag through Los Angeles International Airport. Virgilio Martinez, chef-owner of Central restaurant in Peru, tells the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday that he hoped to serve the predatory, sharp-toothed fish...
High-tech sex toy for women wins back a rescinded award
ARLINGTON, Va. — A trade group has reinstated an award to the makers of a robotic sex toy for women that it had taken away four months ago for not keeping with its image. The Consumer Technology Association on Wednesday restored the Consumer Electronics Show’s 2019 Innovation Award in the...
Parents can’t delete what kids tell Amazon voice assistant
Amazon met with skepticism from some privacy advocates and members of Congress last year when it introduced its first kid-oriented voice assistant , along with brightly colored models of its Echo Dot speaker designed for children. Now those advocates say the kids’ version of Amazon’s Alexa won’t forget what children...
Betting predictions to be part of Fox Sports analysis
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Fox Sports viewers tuning in to some broadcasts this fall will not only see the game, but also will get betting predictions. The network announced a partnership Wednesday night with the parent company of the PokerStars online gambling giant. Fox Sports is buying just under 5%...
No prison after Bucks County baby dies from drug-laced breast milk
CHALFONT, Pa. — A Pennsylvania mother who prosecutors say killed her 11-week-old son with a lethal mix of drugs in her breast milk is not going to prison. Under terms of a plea agreement, a judge has sentenced 31-year-old Samantha Jones to three years’ probation and 100 hours of community...
Philly woman who threw big prom party spared prison term for fraud
A Philadelphia woman who made headlines for an elaborate prom send-off has been spared a prison term for Social Security fraud. Saudia Shuler was ordered Wednesday to pay back the nearly $37,000 in benefits, do 100 hours of community service and serve three years of probation with six months house...
Notre Dame’s melted roof leaves astronomical lead levels
PARIS — Notre Dame Cathedral’s melted roof has left astronomically high lead levels in the plaza outside and adjacent roads. Paris police say lead levels from the roof were found to be between 10 and 20 grams per kilogram of ground — between 32 and 65 times the recommended limit...
Britney Spears gets restraining order against former friend
LOS ANGELES — Britney Spears was granted a temporary restraining order Wednesday against a former confidante who she says has been harassing her family again. A judge ordered 44-year-old Sam Lutfi, who has been in legal fights with the Spears family for a decade, to stay at least 200 yards...
Schick owner buys Harry’s in new shaving war alliance
NEW YORK — The owner of Schick razors is acquiring upstart shaving company Harry’s for $1.37 billion, continuing a trend of consolidation in the shaving industry, where established brands have struggled with the rise of digital-savvy newcomers. About 79% of the deal is cash, and the remainder stock. Harry’s has...
Australia takes responsibility for typos on 46M bank notes
CANBERRA, Australia — Australia’s central bank has taken responsibility for typos on 46 million bank notes after a radio station posted an image of the microscopic error on social media. Triple M radio posted on Instagram on Thursday a magnified photograph of a 50 Australian dollar ($35) note showing the...
North Korea fires 2 suspected missiles in possible new warning
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea on Thursday fired two suspected short-range missiles from the country’s western area, South Korea’s military said, the North’s second weapons launch in the last five days and a possible warning that nuclear disarmament talks with Washington could be in danger. The South’s Joint Chiefs...
BBC DJ fired after royal baby tweet with chimpanzee picture
LONDON — A BBC disc jockey has been fired after using a picture of a chimpanzee in a tweet about the royal baby born to Meghan the Duchess of Sussex and her husband Prince Harry. Danny Baker tweeted Thursday that he has been fired after posting an image of a...
Vatican law: Priests, nuns must report sex abuse, cover-up
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis issued a groundbreaking law Thursday requiring all Catholic priests and nuns around the world to report clergy sexual abuse and cover-up by their superiors to church authorities, in an important new effort to hold the Catholic hierarchy accountable for failing to protect their flocks. The...
Trump promises more hurricane relief for Florida PanhandleVideo
PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. — President Trump promised a swift infusion of federal aid to the Florida Panhandle seven months after devastating Hurricane Michael as he rallied supporters Wednesday for his re-election. Trump addressed a crowd of thousands at an outdoor amphitheater, looking to rally loyalists in the reliably Republican...
Addison Russell rejoins Cubs after 40-game ban
CHICAGO — Addison Russell and the Chicago Cubs don’t believe the 2016 All-Star has become a completely changed man since his ex-wife accused him of physical and emotional abuse. They do believe he has made positive strides, and with the Cubs needing an infielder for a depleted roster, Russell has...
Records: 9-year-old boy charged in mother’s shooting death
FAWN RIVER TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A 9-year-old boy has been charged with murder in the fatal shooting of his mother in their southern Michigan home, according to court documents. The woman was found early Monday morning in Fawn River Township, St. Joseph County Prosecutor John McDonough told WWMT-TV. Fawn River...
New Jersey woman charged in death of puppy found submerged in pond
WEST MILFORD, N.J. — A woman has been charged in the death of a 10-week-old puppy whose body was found submerged and in a weighted cage in a northern New Jersey pond. Passaic County prosecutors say Tonya Fea faces animal cruelty charges. It wasn’t known if the 47-year-old Jefferson Township...
Goalie Jordan Binnington a steady rookie rock as Blues advance
ST. LOUIS — Jordan Binnington still doesn’t look nervous. Sure, the standout rookie goalie for the St. Louis Blues admitted he got a little tired late in the double-overtime win over Dallas in Game 7. But he said he is ready to keep his strong play going as St. Louis...
Kendrick Castillo, who charged attackers, was lone death in Colorado school shootingVideo
HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. — When a gunman burst into his high school classroom, Kendrick Castillo did not hesitate. The 18-year-old immediately charged, pinning the attacker to the wall before he was fatally shot protecting classmates, witnesses said. As Castillo charged, so did two other students. One of them, Brendan Bialy,...
Senate intelligence committee subpoenas Donald Trump Jr.Video
WASHINGTON — The Senate intelligence committee has subpoenaed Donald Trump Jr., calling him in to answer questions about his 2017 testimony to the panel as part of its probe into Russian election interference. That’s according to two people familiar with the subpoena who discussed it on condition of anonymity. It’s...
House panel votes AG William Barr in contempt, escalating probe disputeVideo
WASHINGTON — The House Judiciary Committee voted Wednesday to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress, escalating the Democrats’ extraordinary legal battle with the Trump administration over access to special counsel Robert Mueller’s Trump-Russia report. The vote capped a day of ever-deepening dispute between congressional Democrats and President...
Gov. Tom Wolf started 2nd term with hefty raises to senior aides
HARRISBURG — About a dozen of Gov. Tom Wolf’s senior aides are starting his second term with pay raises that ranged from $25,000 to $33,000. The recipients include members of the Democratic governor’s public relations staff and deputy chiefs of staff who coordinate between the governor’s office and various executive...
